Drivers and crew chiefs are typically the ones that come to mind when speaking about NASCAR, and these folks are certainly on the front lines of the sport. However, this Beyond the Track series will introduce you to a number of the countless people that play a unique role in helping NASCAR drivers and teams get to the track and put on the best possible show, week in and week out.
Having been involved with various sports from a very young age, Hunter Smith started his racing career at the age of 12 with go-karts. He then advanced through the ranks of motorsports, beginning with modifieds, then late models, and onto super late models. However, when his career came to a financial crossroads, he had to have “a long sit down” with himself to figure out what was next.
Never too busy to race, Hunter Smith and Joey Gase take to the go-kart track. (Image: Hunter Smith | FitStop Performance)
His “next” ended up being a way to combine his love of fitness and healthy living with motorsports. Smith shared, “I take pride in the fact that I’ve been in that driver’s seat. I know how that all operates. And I can relate to the drivers on a little bit more than just a personal trainer level.”
Smith’s first stop was securing certifications through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, starting with a Personal Trainer Certification. After that, he acquired specializations in Corrective Exercise and Performance Enhancement.
In laymen’s terms, Smith shared, “So, Corrective Exercise: Picture someone coming out of physical therapy. Corrective exercises are their next step. For racecar drivers, corrective exercise is huge at preventing and rehabbing injuries. Performance enhancement is strictly athletic-based, so think performance-enhancing workouts and overall physical and mental performance of an athlete.”
Hunter Smith found a way to combine his love of fitness with his love for motorsports. The result? FitStop Performance. (Image: Hunter Smith | FitStop Performance)
His next step was to create a business, targeting those in motorsports. FitStop Performance opened its doors in October 2018, just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. At the time, there were very few coaches or trainers for NASCAR drivers that actually had personal seat time. Smith felt his experience behind the wheel would give him an inside lane in connecting with and training drivers.
While FitStop’s primary clientele base is comprised of drivers in varying stages of their careers, others within the industry, such as pit crew members, mechanics, and more, come to Smith for coaching and training.
Programmed for Performance
Smith shared in detail his five target areas when it comes to drivers and their physical and mental well-being. The first area is muscular endurance and strength training. He noted, “You have to have some form of strength to muscle around these racecars, whether it be a Legends car or stock car.”
From there, the second key area is cardiovascular endurance. Depending on the racing series, a driver might be running shorter, sprint races while other drivers are tackling longer, heavy endurance races. With this, Smith said, “Some drivers are doing short sprint style, intense, quick burst type workouts and others are doing workouts where they have to endure for a little bit longer.”
Component number three is cognitive function. This is “how your eyes relay messages to your brain and how your brain relays messages to your hands.”
Smith continued, “This is to keep a driver’s mental state fresh and keep their brain able to process things while a lot of other things are going on. Ultimately, a driver needs to be able to stay focused for an extended period of time.”
“A driver needs to stay focused for an extended period of time.” – Hunter Smith (Image: Hunter Smith | FitStop Performance)
Strengthening neck muscles is “one of the best defenses” in preventing concussions, an injury prevalent in motorsports. Time spent “safely training the neck” is the fourth key area.
The final target is flexibility and coordination. Smith said, “Some drivers are coordinated right off the bat. Then, I’ve had other drivers come in that need to learn how to dribble a basketball. We ensure that the coordination is all there, which is a huge help in putting all these components together and creating accurate programs.”
Each driver gets a personalized program, targeting their needs and ever-changing schedule. “Racecar drivers are at different racetracks every week. Training for each racetrack may be different. For example, take a Truck Series driver going to Bristol versus going to Kansas. The G forces and the overall load on the body are going to be different for those two racetracks.” Additionally, as drivers are advancing through their careers, they might run races in multiple series, with new races popping up throughout the season. Smith noted, “I think that’s the hardest part to keep up with and the most challenging aspect of what we do, but I like to think we do a pretty good job of that.”
Driver success on and off the track is so rewarding to Smith. (Image: Hunter Smith | FitStop Performance)
FitStop Facts
As the only coach at FitStop, Smith shared how rewarding it is to see his drivers succeed, on and off the track. “Obviously, their main focus is performance on the racetrack, but small goals built up over a period of time create huge results. If a driver says ‘This race last year, I got out of the car and felt terrible, but that race this year, I felt great,’ little stuff like that is a huge compliment to me. That’s the kind of stuff that gets me up in the morning and makes me go do what I do.”
“Small goals built up over a period of time create huge results.” – Hunter Smith, seen here with Ryan Vargas (Image: Hunter Smith | FitStop Performance)
Pride can definitely be heard in Smith’s voice as he talks about FitStop Performance and all he has to offer for drivers wanting to improve their on-track performance. When asked about one thing he wanted NASCAR fans to understand, he shared, “I feel like fans should definitely know just how physically and mentally taxing driving a racecar is on a driver’s body. You really need to have such a mental capacity to withstand the long races, withstand temperatures that would cook chicken in an oven. You’re dealing with a lot.” He continued on, “I would put these racecar drivers…against any athlete in the world.”
A huge thank you to Hunter Smith for taking the time to talk and help reboot this series after a year-long hiatus. Be sure to check out FitStop Performance’s social channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) to see the many ways he coaches drivers throughout all forms of motorsports.
